Browsing: Tech Reviews

Engineered wood stores solar heat and releases it to generate electricityNanoscale modifications turn balsa into a heat-driven power materialPhosphorene coating enables broad-spectrum sunlight absorption and efficient heat conversionOrdinary balsa wood can now absorb sunlight, store heat, and generate electricity even in the dark after a team of Chinese scientists reengineered its cellular architecture.A team from Kunming University of Science and Technology and Guangdong University of Technology says the wood’s internal structure was transformed at the nanoscale to achieve this result.They chose balsa not for its strength but for its natural alignment of microchannels, which guide heat and hold other materials…

We finally have a real-deal trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter movie, dropped at last year. This is nearly three minutes of fighting, silly dialogue and, of course, Easter eggs from the games.To the latter point, there’s a scene of Ken beating up a car like in the bonus stages from Street Fighter II and footage of Ryu powering up one of his famous Hadoken fireballs. There’s even a cheeky reference to Chun-Li’s notoriously-large and powerful thighs. This is all helped along by the fact that the actors all look very silly and .The plot looks to be fairly standard…

Only a few weeks after overhauling its unlimited phone plans, AT&T has added a new plan to the top of the lineup that offers more data and performance — for a higher price. The AT&T Elite 2.0 plan is available now.For a single line, Elite 2.0 costs $110 (plus taxes and fees). As more lines are added, the per-line price goes down. AT&T customers can mix and match plans on an account, but if we assume everyone is signing up for the Elite 2.0 plan, the costs break down like this:• One line: $110• Two lines: $100 per line, $200 total•…

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Wednesday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 15 (game #773).Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today…

Live Nation, which operates the Ticketmaster platform, has been determined to be a monopoly. A federal jury handed down its decision today that the company violated federal and state antitrust rules. This finding won’t surprise anyone who has used Ticketmaster and been sticker-shocked by their final bill. However, it’s unclear what the jury’s decision will mean in practice.For starters, the judge overseeing the case hasn’t determined what remedies will be applied. The actions could go as far as requiring Live Nation to sell off Ticketmaster. There are also monetary damages to be awarded, which haven’t been set yet. And whatever…

Samsung-owned Denon has unveiled the long-awaited follow-up to its AVR-S970H receiver, the AVR-S980H, which boasts better music streaming and gaming support.The Denon AVR-S980H is a 5.1.2-channel (7.1) Dolby Atmos receiver that boasts 90 watts per channel, which should be enough to power most home theater speakers.Connectivity is consistent with the previous model, with six HDMI inputs — three 4K and three 8K/4K 120Hz ports — plus two HDMI outputs. If you’re a gamer, the inputs also support 1440p pass-through and AMD FreeSync.Streaming support is improved, with Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect and HEOS multiroom. The Denon is…

Andor’s Adria Arjona has reportedly been cast in James Gunn’s Superman sequelThere’s some confusion over which character she’ll playDC fans are increasingly convinced it won’t be MaximaAdria Arjona has reportedly been cast in James Gunn’s Superman sequel — but fans aren’t convinced she’ll play the character she’s rumored to be playing.The Star Wars actor, who played Bix Caleen in both seasons of the franchise’s critically-acclaimed TV show Andor on Disney+, has apparently joined Man of Tomorrow’s cast. The follow-up film to 2025’s Superman movie, will begin filming next week.Before the cameras start to roll on the next Gunn-directed DC Universe…

This post includes the five best Wi-Fi 7 adapters I’ve tested and used extensively. Wi-Fi 7 has been available for a couple of years, and if you buy a new computer today, chances are it’ll come with this standard built in. However, if you have an older machine, such as one not compatible with Windows 11, it defenitely an older Wi-Fi adapter or no Wi-Fi at all. As you can install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware that can run Windows 10, you can add Wi-Fi 7 to any computer. And at least one of the options below will fit in…

We’re sliding into developer conference season and one of the biggest events on the upcoming calendar is Google I/O. This year’s edition is taking place on May 19 and 20. As usual, the in-person element will happen in Mountain View, California, though many of the keynotes and sessions will be livestreamed. Google will surely make its biggest announcements during the opening keynote, which will start at 1PM ET on May 19. A developer keynote will take place later the same day.As ever, the rumor mill will pick up speed in the leadup to Google I/O. We do have some ideas…

New, more energy-efficient appliances may cost you at the register, but the savings tend to catch up over time. Most people think of heat pumps or solar panels when they hear “long-term energy-saving investment,” but your refrigerator quietly makes the same case. Newer models use considerably less electricity than those from even 10 years ago, and that gap in energy use translates directly into lower utility bills. I wanted to put an actual number on it, so I did a ton of math, analyzing 2,630 fridges and their Energy Star data to compare today’s models to those from 2016. (While I didn’t calculate the energy delta…